Putter club holder
A device for holding a golf putter on a golf bag to facilitate retrieval thereof for use by a player, generally consisting of an elongated member having a length longer than the length of the shaft portion of the putter, insertable in the interior of the bag, having means defining an opening for receiving the shaft portion of the putter therethrough, and providing a surface for resting the head portion of the putter thereon when the shaft portion is inserted through such opening.
This invention relates to a holder for a golf putter and more particularly to such a holder which may be inserted into or onto a golf bag to facilitate access to and convenient retrieval of the putter for use by a player.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTypically, golf clubs including woods, irons and putters are carried in elongated bags usually consisting of a substantially flexible, cylindrical side, a closed bottom end and an open upper end to accommodate the insertion of a set of clubs. Such bags may be carried by the player or a caddy usually by means of a strap provided on the bag, or may be a hauled in a golf cart in playing a round of golf. Whenever a player decides upon the manner in which he or she is to hit a ball in play, he or she selects an appropriate club, retrieves such club from the bag, takes the shot, returns the club to the bag and then proceeds to where the ball lies or the next hole where he or she essentially repeats the same procedure.
Generally, the club compartment of golf bags is sufficiently deep to accommodate wood and iron clubs which generally are of variable lengths and which normally are inserted with their handles down into the bag compartment with the heads thereof extending out of the upper end of the bag. Such arrangement facilitates the access to and retrieval of a particular club when contemplating a shot. Putters, however, usually are of a shorter length than woods and irons which when inserted in golf bags, results in them being less readily accessible and retrievable when sought by a player. Such clubs when inserted in golf bags tend to become entangled with or under, or obstructed by the shafts of the other longer clubs which interferes and complicates their ready retrieval. Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a means for the handy and convenient access to and retrieval of a putter by a player from a conventional golf bag which will not unduly interfere or otherwise adversely affect the tempo of play of the player.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe principal object of the present invention is achieved by providing a device for holding a golf putter in a golf bag generally consisting of an elongated member having a length longer than the length of the shaft of a putter, insertable into the interior of such bag, having means defining an opening for receiving the shaft portion of the putter therethrough, and providing a surface for resting the head portion of the putter thereon when the shaft portion is inserted through such opening. Such a device functions to position the head of the putter at or slightly above the heads of the other clubs carried in the bag which greatly facilitates accessing and retrieving the putter without having to reach down into the bag and locate the putter among the shafts of the other clubs. Preferably, such device is formed of a metallic material such as stainless steel, has portions coated with a cushioning material such as rubber so as not to damage any portion of the bag or the putter and to facilitate the gripping of the bag, and certain forms of retaining devices can be provided on the device and the putter for securing the putter on the holding device. In another embodiment of the invention, the device is provided with an inverted, U-shaped section including a bight portion seatable on the edge of the upper opening of the bag, a first leg portion insertable in the bag opening when the bight portion is seated on the opening edge of the bag, a second leg portion disposable on the exterior of the bag when the bight portion is seated on the open edge, and means disposed on the second leg portion defining an opening for receiving the shaft portion of the putter therethrough and providing a surface for resting the head portion of the putter thereon when the shaft portion is inserted through the opening. Such second embodiment may be either mounted on the side wall of the golf bag or simply inserted within the bag, supported on the bottom thereof.
Referring to
Device 12 consists of an elongated, U-shaped section 30, a ring shaped retainer section 31 disposed at an upper end thereof and a cup-shaped section 32 disposed on section 30 and spaced from retainer member 31. U-shaped section 30 includes a bight portion 33, an elongated leg portion 34 and a shorter leg portion 35. Cup section 32 is disposed in alignment with retainer section 31 and is supported on a lower end segment 36 of leg portion 35. U-shaped section 30 may be formed of a metallic rod material such as stainless steel and the like, and is bent to provide the various portions thereof with leg portion 34 having a length substantially the depth of compartment 15, leg portion 35 having a length shorter than leg portion 34 and bight portion 33 having a length greater than the thickness of side wall 13 of bag 10 so that device 12 can be mounted on bag 10 with leg portion 34 received within compartment 15, bight portion 33 overlapping and resting on upper bag edge 16 and leg portion 35 lying along the outer side of the bag side wall, as shown in
In the use of device 12 for holding putter 11, leg portion 34 is simply inserted into compartment 15 through the upper end thereof so that bight portion 33 is caused to rest on upper wall edge 16 and leg portion 35 lies along the outer side of the bag. The putter may then be mounted on the device by simply inserting the handle end of the putter through retainer section 31 and guiding it downwardly into cup section 32. Although the preferred method of mounting the device on bag 10 is as described, alternatively, the device may be simply inserted in its entirety within compartment 15. When so inserted within compartment 15, the head of the putter will be sufficiently adjacent the upper, open end of the bag to facilitate access to and retrieval of the putter by simply grasping the head portion thereof and withdrawing it from compartment 15.
In the use of device 40 to hold putter 44, rod section 40 of the device is simply inserted in compartment 15 of bag 10 with the lower end thereof resting on the bottom wall of the bag and the upper end thereof resting against the inner side of the side wall of the bag with retainer ring section 42 thus disposed slightly below, at the level of or slightly above upper edge 16 of the bag. Putter 44 then simply is inserted in retainer ring section 42 and lowered into compartment 15 until the head portion engages and rests on the ring section. With device 40 thus inserted in bag 10 and putter 44 supported on the device within the bag, the putter may easily be accessed and retrieved by a player by simply gripping the head portion of the putter and lifting it out of the bag.
To prevent any possible damage to the interior surfaces of the bag by either of the embodiments as described, portions of such devices may be coated with a padding material such as rubber or a resilient polymer. As shown in
A modification of the embodiment shown in
With the use of any of the embodiments of the invention as described, a golfer should be able to readily access and retrieve his or her putter without rummaging through his or her golf bag to locate it, thus accommodating his or her play and possibly improving his or her performance.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention, which come within the province of those persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the aforementioned invention pertains. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A device for holding a golf putter on a golf bag to facilitate retrieval thereof for use comprising an elongated member having a length longer than the length of the shaft portion of said putter, insertable into the interior of said bag, having means defining an opening for receiving the shaft portion of said putter therethrough, and providing a surface for resting the head portion of said putter thereon when said shaft portion is inserted through said opening.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the length of said member is greater than the depth of the interior of said bag.
3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said member is made of a metallic material.
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein at least one of an end segment of said member and said opening defining means is coated with a cushioning material
5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said coating material is rubber.
6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said elongated member includes an elongated rod section having a length longer than the shaft portion of said putter, and said opening defining means comprises a loop section connected to an end of said rod section, lying in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to said rod section.
7. A device according to claim 6 wherein said member comprises a continuous, elongated rod providing a rectilinear section and a looped section at one end of said rectilinear section.
8. A device according to claim 6 wherein said member comprises an elongated rod section and a looped section secured to an end of said rod section.
9. A device according to claim 6 wherein said member is formed of a metallic material.
10. A device according to claim 9 wherein at least one of the ends of said rod section and said looped section are coated with a cushioning material.
11. A device according to claim 1 including means for detachably securing a putter received through said opening and resting on said opening defining means.
12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said detachably securing means comprises a patch of VELCRO material cooperable with a similar material provided on said putter.
13. A device according to claim 12 wherein a patch of said securing material is disposed on said rod section of said member which cooperates with a patch of said securing material disposed on the shaft portion of said putter when said putter is supported on said member.
14. A device according to claim 12 wherein said patch of said securing material is disposed on said looped section of said member which cooperates with a patch of said securing material disposed on the head portion of said putter when said putter is supported on said member.
15. A device for holding a golf putter on a golf bag to facilitate retrieval thereof for use, comprising an inverted, U-shaped section including a bight portion seatable on the edge of an upper opening of said bag, a first leg insertable in said bag opening when said bight portion is seated on said opening edge, a second leg portion disposable on the exterior of said bag when said bight portion is seated on said opening edge, and means disposed on said second leg portion defining an opening for receiving the shaft portion of said putter therethrough and providing a surface for resting the head portion of said putter thereon when said shaft portion is inserted through said opening.
16. A device according to claim 15 wherein the length of said first leg section is not greater than the depth of said bag opening.
17. A device according to claim 15 including means disposed on the free end of said second leg section upon which an end of said shaft portion may rest when said shaft portion is inserted through said opening.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 24, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 26, 2009
Inventor: Robert S. Harrison (Birmingham, MI)
Application Number: 11/902,575
International Classification: A63B 55/00 (20060101);